Exiled No Longer
by lafemmewookita
Summary: The Exile, Qatya, journeys into the unknown to confront the unknown. After KOTOR (Knights of the Old Republic) II. WIP, Please R&R.


A/N: I decided to start a new story... I know, what the heck am I thinking? The Exile is calling me and I had to finally pick up the 'link. She demanded her story and here it is. Will eventually have Revan in it but will focus primarily on the Exile at first. Like it, don't like it, continue, don't continue... let me know. I appreciate all the feedback!

Disclaimer - not mine, never will be, thanks for making me cry.

* * *

The pain roared through Qatya's head as Kreia dropped, lifeless, to the ground. The Force-bond between the two women severed abruptly. This severance caused the pain that was currently shooting through Qatya. Already weakened by the hard-fought battle with her former mentor, she folded to the ground. She lay on her side as the Ebon Hawk rose to the platform where the two combatants lay.

_A dream, it's only a dream_, she thought to herself. The dream continued as her friends rushed out of the hatch and grabbed her. _It's only a vision. I'm hallucinating. My friends were dead when I left the Hawk._

"General, you're not hallucinating. We're getting out of here." Her hallucination spoke. The dream was so real she could feel the arms slung around her waist as they pulled her towards the Hawk. She could hear shouting and saw blurry figures on the ramp beckoning her forward. Then, she saw and dreamt nothing.

* * *

When she woke, Qatya felt a hand clasped around hers. There was a hard bunk underneath her. She felt warm and tired. The hand holding hers pressed their joined hands to a wet cheek.

"Don't leave me." A soft voice breathed against her hand. "You can't leave me. You changed me. Don't leave." Qatya tried to squeeze the hand but she was too weak and drifted off once more.

"Did you see that? She grabbed my hand." Atton's voice sounded excited. "Exile, Qatya, please do it again, show Disciple that you're with us." Atton's plea went unanswered as Qatya slept the sleep of the dead.

"Atton, she will wake when she is ready. It is the will of the Force, let it work." Disciple's voice was comforting as he put a hand on Atton's shoulder.

"I want her awake now. After all we've been through, she's never been out like this before. Hell, she's been sliced and diced and she shrugged it off." Atton's voice now sounded desolate and small as he looked at the still form in front of him. He'd spent the past week sitting by Qatya's sick bed. The Hawk was now being piloted by rotating crewmembers. They each took turns sitting with Qatya, talking to her as if she could hear them.

She'd been unconscious ever since they'd pulled her away from the Trayus Academy on Malachor V. The only sign of life since then had been her pain wracked scream as the generators were shut down and the planet disintegrated. Other than that small sign of cognizance, Qatya was dead to the world.

"Her bond with Kreia was strong. No one knew what would happen when that bond was destroyed. This is, perhaps, the aftereffect of that destruction. She needs to heal her mind and then she will come back to us." Disciple squeezed the hand resting on Atton's shoulder comfortingly. "You need to rest. That position is not conducive to sleep."

Disciple pulled Atton up and away from the bed. Atton turned his head to look at the still form.

"Come back to me." Atton squeezed Qatya's hand and then let go. He allowed Disciple to lead him to the men's quarters. He fell into a deep sleep, haunted by the memories of his past and the despair for his future.

* * *

Disciple walked back to the medbay. He sat on the chair out of which he'd just pulled Atton. He slipped into a meditative state and channeled the Force. It pushed him one way and tugged him another as he searched for an answer to Qatya's condition.

As he allowed the Force to guide him, he reflected on his own feelings. He, too, felt despair for the woman he'd come to worship. Realistically, he knew she was not truly the light he envisioned her to be. However, he knew that reality could never be just black and white, good and evil, light and dark. Qatya was a servant of the light; he didn't doubt that. She had dark spaces within her, though. Her actions reflected the good in her soul but sometimes, her words could be biting and that reflected the darker side.

The Force pulled him deeper into his mind. There, he saw a shining beacon of light. This was the kernel of knowledge for which he'd spent the past week searching. With eagerness his traveling companions wouldn't recognize, he drifted faster towards it.

* * *

In the cockpit, Mira was bored and worried. This wasn't a good combination for the bounty hunter turned Jedi. When she was bored, she ended up doing something stupid. Like the time on Nar Shaddaa when she'd been bored and Hanharr had almost captured her. She'd been rushing after a bounty that she was tired of waiting for when the insane wookiee grabbed her. She bit the arm holding her and ran as fast as she could, disappearing in the crowd.

Her worry kept her in the pilot's seat. She wanted to rush back and check on Qatya but she knew someone had to be in this seat just in case there were any lingering Sith forces around to pull them out of hyperspace. They had one more jump to make before they made it back to Citadel Station. At this point, Atton wasn't in shape enough to fight off a gizka, let alone pilot a ship. That left only Visas and Mira to pilot the Hawk. Disciple was busy trying to heal Qatya. HK-47 was pacing the ship and Mira didn't trust him with astronavigation anyway. T3-M4 was an invaluable resource to Mira. He'd helped her out with the last jump. Even now, he made sure she had water and food to snack on. He even attempted to warble out a joke for her amusement.

"The Exile will be fine given enough time to heal. Your worry does you credit but it is unnecessary. Trust in the Force." Visas' soft voice drifted from the doorway. Mira let out a girly shriek.

"Could you try to be louder next time? You scared the Force out of me!" Mira turned around and glanced at the Miraluka standing in the doorway.

"The Force will never leave you, Mira, no matter how much you might be scared or upset."

"It's a saying, Visas. It just means that you scared me a lot. Join me, I could use the company." The serene woman nodded and sat in the co-pilot's seat.

"She will heal, you must have faith in the Force." Visas' voice was tranquil as she repeated her assertion to Mira.

"I'm trying but I haven't had the Force for as long as you. I'm used to relying on my blasters and my wits." The Miraluka smiled at the younger woman's declaration.

"The Force has always guided you, even when you were unaware of it. Trust in the Force. The Exile has suffered multiple serious injuries all at once; she requires time to heal them. Give her that time and she will awaken." Mira looked hopeful as Visas' words slipped beyond the doubt and worry clouding her thoughts.

"Do you really believe that?"

"I do. The Force is how I see. I see the Force around the Exile. It is weakened, but it is no longer sickly. When Kreia died, the Force brightened. When Malachor was destroyed, the Force brightened even further. The galaxy will shine with the Force again, it is an inevitability." The Miraluka reached out a hand and gripped Mira's where it rested on the yoke. "Trust in it and it will glow brighter for you." Mira nodded.

"Trust has always been hard for me. With the childhood I had, then being on Nar Shaddaa, I haven't met too many people I can trust. It was always just me and my blasters. I understand what you're saying, though. The Force has always been with me, even when I didn't know it." The Miraluka nodded. "It's just hard. Exile was willing to sacrifice herself for us. I just want to make sure that she doesn't die and I feel useless sitting up here staring out the viewport."

"Each person has an important part to play. Without you sitting here, staring out the viewport, we would not be able to make it to possible help. You are the best pilot among us since Atton is too focused on his grief and fear. You are an important part of this group. Do not doubt that."

"You're right, Visas. Thanks." The two women sat in companionable silence.

* * *

Bao Dur sat in the garage, furiously working on a new remote. His friend since childhood, the predecessor of the current remote sacrificed himself to insure the destruction of the abomination he'd helped create. Bao Dur understood Atton's grief and despair as it washed over the entire ship. Bao Dur was mourning, not only his general but also his friend.

For so long, Malachor V had been an oozing wound in his life. He'd had to sacrifice his remote to end that torment. Now, he might have to sacrifice the general that ordered the wound in the first place.

"Will the grief that is Malachor never end?" He shouted as he pounded his hands on the workbench.

"Statement: Malachor was destroyed. Therefore, the grief has ended." HK-47 stood at attention by Bao Dur's shoulder.

"I was speaking figuratively, HK." Bao Dur turned to the assassin droid.

"Query: Then why didn't you say so?" The Zabrak mechanic only shook his head.

"Could you please leave me alone? I have something I need to concentrate on." Bao Dur gestured towards the beginning of a new remote sitting on the workbench.

"Confused Query: If you were working on that useless piece of machinery, then why were you questioning yourself about Malachor?"

"I was thinking out loud, HK. Please, leave."

"Exasperated Statement: Meatbags will never make sense, I'm afraid." HK wandered out of the workshop, leaving Bao Dur alone with the pieces of equipment. With a barely controlled twist of his wrists, Bao Dur put another piece in place. Eventually, he would have his friend back. All he had to do was build this remote and download his old remote's memories. At least he would be able to bring back one friend of his.

* * *

In the medbay, Disciple finally reached the kernel of knowledge. It shone brightly among the shadowy confines of his deep memory. Once he reached it, he discovered the way to heal the rift in Qatya's mind. He had to sever the bond between the dead planet, Kreia and Qatya. With this knowledge and the help of his fellow Padawans, he would sever the leaching of Qatya's energy and she should awaken within a few hours.

"We are being summoned to the medbay. Come." Visas' stood and beckoned Mira to follow her. With a confused glance at the Miraluka and a hesitant glance at the controls, Mira followed Visas out of the cockpit.

Atton pulled himself out of the depths of the nightmare. He wasn't sure what called to him, only that he had to answer. Qatya needed him and it was time.

Bao Dur felt the insistent buzzing behind his ear. He was reluctant to leave his creation but he followed the summons.

The medbay was crowded as each of the beginner Jedi answered Disciple's call through the Force. Atton looked horrible. His skin as sallow and he had gigantic bags under his eyes. Mira didn't look much better as she leaned against a cabinet. Visas was as indecipherable as normal. Bao Dur looked confused to be there.

"I've found a way to save the Exile. The bond between mentor and student has not been severed. In addition, the bond between Malachor and the Exile is leaching her life force away. We must sever these Force-bonds." Each of the people crowded in the medbay looked hopeful. With concise instructions, Disciple explained what needed to be done. Bao Dur's confusion increased.

"I do not understand why I'm here. I cannot help you with this. I am not Force Sensitive."

"You heard the call through the Force, Bao Dur. You can help us. Envision what Disciple has said as if it were real. That is all that is needed." With a doubtful nod, Bao Dur agreed to help the students that surrounded the Exile.

Each of the students reached into the Force. When they were deep within its glowing bowels, they saw a line of energy pulling away from Qatya back along the path they traveled away from Malachor. It was a twisted gray form that snaked its way around Qatya's body. Its tendrils reached deep within her mind. It was a poisonous vine they would have to prune away from her. Atton started to rush forward but Visas grabbed him.

"Patience, friend, patience. If we work too quickly, we risk hurting her." Atton acquiesced.

With slow, methodical motions, the group started pruning.

* * *

Well, there you have it... chapter 1 is up and running. Hope you all enjoyed.


End file.
